One of the biggest rivalries in English football resumes on Sunday afternoon when Manchester United host Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Before the emergence of Chelsea and Manchester City this was often a fixture between the two title contenders, but there remains a desperation to win from both sides as they jostle for position in the table.

Manchester United

After agreeing to become the Manchester United manager last summer, Louis van Gaal would have been fully aware that his big challenge was to turn the team into title contenders once again, but realistically, he has passed his first test by taking the club to the brink of Champions League qualification.

United would need to lose both their matches while Liverpool pick up six points, and even then only a big swing in goal difference would prevent the club from returning to Europe's elite club competition.

Just a couple of weeks back it looked like qualification would not be as routine as it first appeared, but last week's victory over Crystal Palace ended a run of three straight defeats to move them clear of Liverpool once again.

Another win at the weekend would see them leapfrog Arsenal, and the battle for third spot could be crucial as both sides look to avoid a potentially tricky playoff on the way to the Champions League group stages.

Confidence should be high after battling to all three points against Palace, and the game offered another example of fringe players turning into key men as Ashley Young starred at Selhurst Park and Marouane Fellaini scored another vital goal.

The players that are on the brink of leading the club back to a top-four finish deserve credit, but if Van Gaal manages to produce a title challenge next season, it's a safe bet that the team will look much different.

In recent days Gareth Bale has been linked with a move away from Real Madrid once again and there have been suggestions that they will also launch a move for Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane.

United still have two games to focus on before another busy summer begins, and Van Gaal will be hopeful that automatic Champions League qualification is secure before then.

Recent form: WWLLLW

Arsenal

Statistically, no team has been better than Arsenal in the Premier League in 2015, but their momentum was halted on Monday night as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Swansea City.

Arsene Wenger suggested after the game that Swansea were reluctant to come out and play attacking football at the Emirates Stadium, but it may have felt like a familiar story for the Gunners fans as they struggled to break down a stubborn defence.

However, one slip-up should certainly not take the shine off what has been a fine second half of the season for Arsenal, and Wenger has once again passed the first test of clinching Champions League qualification.

After bringing in Alexis Sanchez last summer, the club are expected to be busy in the transfer market again but nothing less than a strong title challenge should be enough for a side which needs to close the gap on Chelsea next season.

FA Cup commitments mean that Arsenal have a game in hand over both Manchester clubs and they will be keen to beat their rivals to second spot before switching their focus to a Wembley clash against Aston Villa.

A decade ago the Gunners were travelling to Old Trafford in the hope of collecting points to close in on the title, and although a second-place finish and FA Cup triumph would be a slight improvement on last year, the fans are surely running out of patience for the club to get back to the top of the table.

Recent form: WWWDWL
Recent form (all competitions): WWWDWL

Team News

Van Gaal has been dealt a blow in his preparations for Sunday's match with the news that Wayne Rooney will miss out after picking up a knock against Palace last weekend.

Luke Shaw is also unavailable, but Angel di Maria and Robin van Persie are both set to return to the squad after recovering from their respective injury problems.

The Gunners are without one of their own forwards as former United striker Danny Welbeck continues his battle with a knee injury.

Aaron Ramsey has been unable to train for most of the week, but the Wales international should shake off a knock to start for the visitors once again.

Man Utd possible starting lineup:
De Gea, Valencia, Rojo, Smalling, Blind, Jones, Herrera, Mata, Fellaini, Young, Van Persie

Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Cazorla, Coquelin, Ramsey, Ozil, Sanchez, Giroud

Head To Head

These two sides have already met twice this season, and Welbeck was the hero against his former club as he scored the winner in March to help his current side continue their FA Cup defence.

It was a different story in the reverse league fixture, with United producing an impressive defensive performance in North London to claim a 2-1 win.

United are unbeaten in seven Premier League matches against the Gunners, and they have lost just once in 12 games with Arsene Wenger's side.

Video Preview

Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:

We say: Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal

Van Gaal's charges have been excellent at Old Trafford this season, and the ground has once again become one of the toughest places to visit in the country. Arsenal will be desperate to recover from the defeat to Swansea with a strong performance, but both sides could be forced to settle for a point.